


Finally Time

by SwinginSass



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: Adoption, F/M, Falling In Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 19:01:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15322146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwinginSass/pseuds/SwinginSass
Summary: Sara adopts a little girl and shocks the group. She has difficulty handling her new found motherhood and finds support in Greg.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own CSI although I really wish I did. Anything similar to other fanfictions stories is not purposeful and the author has full credit for them.
> 
> Author's Note: This was one of my first fanfic story so I hope you like it.

Sara Sidle shifted in her seat and looked at the map at the map Gil Grissom, her boss, had given to each of the team members. She recalled what he had said earlier that week, "the Mayor's having a picnic this Saturday for a bunch of city officials. He wants the whole team there. He said you can bring a guest if you want." Sara had indeed brought a guest.

She pulled into the parking lot and saw Greg Sanders getting out of his car. They seemed to be the first members of the team there. Sara parked beside Greg and got out of her car.

"Hey Sara," Greg smiled and Sara couldn't help but smile back. "You look nice." She was wearing a red sleeveless top with a deep V neck and jean shorts that went up to her mid-thigh which made her legs look like they went on forever. It wasn't anything spectacular but Greg had never seen her out of work clothes and this outfit Greg forget to close his mouth.

"Thanks Greg," Sara said blushing. It had been awhile since a guy had looked at her like Greg was. "You don't look too bad yourself." He was wearing khaki shorts and a grey-blue button down shirt as well as his usual spiked hair. Behind her, she heard a knock coming from the inside of the side door of her car.

Greg looked at her car and asked, "did you bring someone?"

"I did," and she opened the door but Greg still couldn't see in the car. Sara leaned in and Greg could hear her murmuring and unbuckle a seat belt. She emerged a moment later with a little girl of about five on her hip.

Greg looked from the little girl to Sara, confusion written on his face. The little girl had long wavy hair that was pulled back into a ponytail and light blue eyes. She was wearing a pink flowered t-shirt and matching shorts.

"Greg," Sara started, "I'd like to introduce you to my daughter, Bethany." She looked at the little girl lovingly. "Bethany this is Greg Sanders, one of the people I work with."

Greg stared at them in shock his jaw still dropped, "who...? What...? I have no idea what to say."

"Sweetheart, how about you go play on the jungle gym while I talk to Greg." Sara set Bethany down and she ran to the playground and Sara followed more slowly. She turned back to look at Greg, "are you coming?" He followed her and they sat at a picnic table by the playground. Sara began to explain the sudden appearance of Bethany to Greg. "A few months ago I was at a crime scene, a murder of a wife by her husband. There was a little girl sitting in a cop car, the daughter," she pointed at Bethany. "We found out later that the wife and the child had been physically and sexually assaulted by the woman's husband, the girl's father. A few weeks ago, I saw some evidence from the case and I thought of the little girl. I called Children Services to make sure she was alright. I found out she was not doing well , not speaking, barely eating, so I offered to go visit her to try and draw her out. I just start by taking her out a couple times after school and then everyday. Soon I couldn't imagine my life without her so I filled out the papers and two days ago the adoption was finalized and now Bethany is mine."

"Wow," Greg said. "Sara that is amazing. Does anyone else know?"

"Not yet. I was going to tell them today," Sara replied.

"I can't wait to see their expressions," Greg laughed but then looked a bit somber, "are you going to be able to stay on the night shift? We'd all miss you if you left." Especially me he thought.

"I think so," Sara said, "my neighbour, Mrs. Finnly, is a widow and she's been watching Bethany and has offered to do so for awhile at least, in my apartment or hers. I may look into a nanny service and I might buy a house."

"If you ever need any help, just call me," Greg offered with a smile.

"Thanks Greg," Sara murmured smiling back. "Now," she said jumping up, ruining the moment, "shall we go join Bethany?"

"Well Miss Sidle, I never thought of you as someone who enjoys playing on the jungle gym," Greg said jokingly.

"Oh you'll be surprised at what I enjoy Mr. Sanders," Sara said suggestively and she laughed at his expression, as she joined her daughter on the swings.

"Will you push me Mr. Sanders?" Bethany asked politely.

"Of course I will Bethany," Greg said, "but Mr. Sanders in my dad. How about if you call me Greg or Uncle Greg."

Bethany looked to her mother for permission and Sara nodded. "Okay Uncle Greg," she said, her little face breaking into a smile. Greg went behind her and began pushing. Bethany squealed with delight as she kept going higher.

"Hang on tight Bethany," Sara warned her daughter and began to pump her legs making the swing go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile in the parking lot, two new arrivals were staring at the scene in shock. Nick Stokes and Warrick Brown looked at each other, neither knowing what to make of the scene in front of them. Sara looked in their direction and waved. She slowed her swing down and gestured for Greg to do the same thing as Nick and Warrick arrived in front of them.

"Hey guys," Sara greeted them.

"Hey Sara, Greg," they replied.

"Who's this little one," Nick asked kneeling down to Bethany's height.

Suddenly Bethany jumped off her swing and ran up a ladder to the interior of the playground. Sara excused herself quickly and ran after her. She found Bethany sitting in one of the tunnels with her knees drawn to her chest and tears running down her face.

"Honey what's the matter?" Sara pulled herself into the tunnel and pulled Bethany onto her lap.

"That man sounds like Daddy," Bethany cried and hid her face in her mother's shoulder.

Sara remembered Bethany's father. A cruel man but he had a Texan accent slightly like Nick's. "Bethany, that's Nick. He's my friend. He would never hurt you, I promise. No one will hurt you, not here." Sara rocked Bethany back and forth as her crying quieted. A few minutes later Sara asked, "you ready to go down?" Bethany nodded and Sara wiped her tears away. "Now let's see if I can get out of here," Sara said causing Bethany to giggle. Once they had gotten out, they decided to take the slide down. Sara went down first and caught Bethany on her way down. She spun her around making Bethany laugh. Sara walked over to the guys which has three new additions, Gil Grissom, Catherine Willows, and her daughter, Lindsey.

"Is Bethany alright," Greg asked.

"She's fine," Sara replied. "Everybody, this is my daughter, Bethany. Bethany this is Warrick, Nick, Gil, Catherine and her daughter, Lindsey." Sara pointed at each person respectively.

"Hi," Bethany said shyly, hiding her face in Sara's shirt.

"Hi Bethany," Lindsey said, "do you want to go play with me on the swings?" Bethany nodded and Sara set her down, smiling appreciatively at the 12-year-old.

The two children went off as Sara related the story, this time including Bethany's fears. "I don't think she's actually scared of you Nick, but your accent reminds her of her father and what he did to her. Just be your usual charming self and her fears should disappear."

Nick nodded and said, "I never thought of you to be one to adopt a child, much less a victim, but motherhood suits you. I've never seen you so happy." The others all agreed.

"If you ever have any questions, I might be able to help," Catherine offered. The others all offered their help too.

"Dinner begins in five minutes," someone yelled from across the park.

"We'd better head over," Grissom suggested. Catherine and Sara called the children over and the gang headed towards the huge tent where dinner was being served.

"Why are we eating inside if it's a picnic?" Bethany asked innocently.

"I don't know, honey," Sara said , as the whole group tried to hide their laughter.

They found they seats, they were all sitting together, and they watched as servers brought out food fit for a banquet not a picnic.

Sara watched Bethany with a sad smile. Greg, who was sitting beside her, gave her a concerned look. "I'm alright," she whispered, "it's just she's suffered and missed out on so much." They both smiled when Bethany laughed at the antics of Nick.

"You'll make sure she's happy and give her all she needs and more," Greg whispered, "and I'll help." Sara gave him a grateful smile and began eating.


	2. Chapter 2

A few hours later, after dinner had been eaten and cleared away, and all the speeches had been said, a band came out and dancing began. Grissom went over to talk to Jim Brass, who had arrived late. Warrick asked Catherine to dance and one of the young men came over and asked Lindsey to dance.

Bethany watched the others dancing and then hopped off her chair and went over to Nick. "Will you dance with me Uncle Nick?"

"Well I'd be honoured to Miss Bethany," Nick said bowing to her. She giggled and Nick picked her up as they went out onto the dance floor.

"I guess she's not scared of Nick anymore," Greg commented and Sara smiled.

"Come on Mommy, Uncle Greg," Bethany called from the dance floor. Greg stood and held out his hand. Sara put her hand in his and he pulled her up and out onto the dance floor. The song was a slow one so they began dancing in a rigid position with Greg's hand on Sara's hip and Sara's hand on his shoulder and their hands out to the side. As the song progressed, though, Sara rested her hand on his shoulder and Greg drew their hands to his chest. They were both very comfortable and didn't notice the others looking at them, not even the gleeful eyes of a certain five-year-old.

Bethany watched her mother and her new uncle dance and was ecstatic. She clapped her hands and Nick asked what she was so happy about. "Uncle Greg and Mommy are going to fall in love and get married and then I'll have a daddy who loves me," she said smiling with a childish innocence.

Nick could see that this would undoubtedly lead to trouble so he tried to deter her. "Bethany, lots of people are dancing together and they're not going to get married. Catherine and Warrick... eh... that's a bad example." Nick looked around, "Lindsey and the boy she's dancing with aren't going to get married."

"But they're kids," Bethany said pouting," and Mommy looks so happy. So does Uncle Greg." Nick had to agree. Both Sara and Greg seemed to be enjoying this more than they were likely to admit. "It could happen, couldn't it Uncle Nick?" Bethany looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"Anything is possible," he said and he hugged her to his chest. "Besides you've got all of us too. We're a family of sorts." Bethany hugged him back still hoping her wish would come true.

Bethany was indeed right when she said Sara and Greg looked happy. Sara couldn't quite believe it though. This is the same goofy lab tech that flirted with me all the time. He's changed since he's become a CSI, more mature, although his old self still comes out sometimes. This Greg is very attractive though I miss the constant flirting. 

Greg's thoughts were more along the lines of I can't believe I'm Sara Sidle. Must stay calm and cool.

When the music ended, they both felt disappointment as they slowly went back to their seats with Greg's hand under Sara's elbow. Sara noticed a mischievous grin on Bethany's face and asked, "what have you been up to little missy?"

"Nothing Mommy," Bethany said giggling. "Did you and Uncle Greg enjoy your dance?" Nick struggled to keep his expression straight but Sara noticed and gave him a confused look.

"Yes we did," answered Greg pulling out Sara's chair for her.

"Thanks," Sara said quietly smiling at him and Greg smiled back. The others noticed and gave each other conspiratorial smiles. Before Greg and Sara had reached the table, the group, including the two children, had decided that it was finally time to get the two of them together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The dancing continued for many hours and it wasn't until 10:30pm that Sara decided it was time to take Bethany home.

"But I'm not tired Mommy," Bethany yawned as she said this.

"Well you might not be tired," Sara said hiding a smile, "but I am. Catherine and Lindsey are going too, right?" At Catherine's nod, Sara lifted Bethany up and she promptly lay her head on Sara's shoulder and closed her eyes.

"I'm going to head out too," Greg said, so Catherine decided to get them alone.

"Why don't you three go ahead," Catherine suggested. "I need to talk to Grissom about something."

"Are you sure?" Sara asked although truthfully, she was fine with having this time alone with Greg.

"Yeah," Catherine answered. "You need to get Bethany home."

"Okay," Sara said and she and Greg headed out of the tent towards their cars.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Grissom asked Catherine once Sara and Greg had left. Catherine laughed and went to sit with Warrick and Lindsey until Sara and Greg were out of the parking lot.

The walk to the cars was silent, neither too sure what to say, but still quite comfortable with the silence. Both were oblivious to the matchmaking efforts of their friends. When they reached their cars, Sara found she couldn't get her keys out of her short's pocket and Bethany was sound asleep on her shoulder. Greg gave her a confused look and Sara mouthed keys and nodded in the direction of her pocket.

"Do you want me to get them?" Greg whispered and Sara gave him a small nod. Greg visibly gulped and reached into Sara's pocket. He got the keys and opened the side door all the while blushing. Sara tried not to laugh as she saw how uncomfortable she'd made him as she buckled a sleeping Bethany into her booster seat. Sara shut the door quietly and turned around to face Greg.

"Thanks Greg," Sara said quietly. What do I do now? she thought. A handshake is too formal but I can't kiss him, ...can I?

"Hey it's no problem," Greg wondered what she was thinking about. She seemed to be fighting an inner battle.

Suddenly Sara stepped forward, gave him a hug and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll see you at work tomorrow," she said and got into her car. She started it and pulled out of the parking lot leaving behind a very surprised Greg.

"Bye," Greg whispered to himself. Behind him he heard the others coming to their cars. He got into his car, waved good-bye to everyone and headed home.

"Wonder what's with him," Nick said.

"Woman troubles," Warrick replied and both men laughed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a short chapter

"Hey Grissom," a female voice said. Grissom looked up from his desk to see Sara standing in his office doorway.

"Hello Sara. What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if I could have this Friday night off?" Sara asked.

"You want a night off?" Grissom said, astounded by her request.

"Yes," Sara said smiling. "Bethany and I are going to look at some prospective houses Friday afternoon and I don't know how long we'll be."

"Greg's the only other one off that night, so sure. Besides you never took a maternity leave so I can give you some time off," Grissom saw Sara blush at the mention of Greg's name but pretended not to notice.

"Thanks Gris," Sara said as she headed to the breakroom, thinking about what Grissom had said. Why would he mention Greg? What does it matter if he's got the night off? Maybe I could invite him to come with us house shopping? Bethany would love that, so would I, but is it inappropriate? Sara was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't see Greg coming out of the breakroom and walked right into him. They both fell to the ground, Sara partially on top of Greg. "I am so sorry," Sara stammered as she pushed herself off him into a sitting position.

"It's no problem," Greg said. "Are you okay, though?"

"I'm fine," Sara answered and was blushing profusely now. "What about you?"

"I'm great. It's not every day a beautiful girl falls into my lap." Greg laughed as Sara blushed redder than she already was.

"Don't kid around," Sara mumbled.

"I wasn't kidding Sara," Greg said gently. He changed topics, "why were you so distracted anyway?"

"No specific reason," Sara stuttered, "just thinking. Greg?"

"Yeah," Greg replied as he stood up.

"Do you have any plans on Friday?" Sara asked. "Grissom mentioned that you also have the night off and I was wondering if you wanted to come house shopping with me ad Bethany? If you're not busy, I mean." Sara looked at the floor, suddenly feeling very shy.

"I'd love to," Greg whispered and he offered Sara a hand up. She looked at him and put her hand in his. She pulled her up and asked, "when and where?"

"My apartment, you know where that is right?" she continued at his nod, although she noticed that he was still holding her hand making it hard to concentrate, "at 2:00pm. We can go out for dinner, after if you want."

"Cool," he said, "I'll be there."

"Great," Sara smiled. "I guess I'll see you later then," Greg released her hand regretfully and she headed down the hall.

A few minutes later, Nick passed the breakroom and saw Greg standing in the same position he'd been when Sara had left with a huge smile on his face. "What are you smiling about?" Nick asked. Greg just laughed and walked away. Nick stared after him quite confused.


	4. Chapter 4

"Mommy!" Bethany called from the living room, "Uncle Greg is here!" Sara heard the doorbell ring a few seconds later. She put down the cloth she was using to clean up the lunchtime mess and walked to the door. She opened the door and let Greg in.

"Hey Greg," Sara greeted him.

"Hi Sara," he said returning the greeting.

"Uncle Greg!" Bethany yelled as she ran into the room. She threw her arms around his legs in a hug so he lifted her up and hugged his neck. "I'm so glad you're coming."

"Me too Bethany," Greg said. "Are you ready to go?" he asked Sara.

"Yes," she answered, "I just need to grab my purse and Bethany needs to grab her hat." Greg set Bethany down and she grabbed her hat off the coat hook. Sara picked up hr purse and the three of them left the house. Sara locked the door and said, "we'll take my car if that's okay with you. The realtor said she'll be coming in my vehicle to take us to each house. You can leave your car in the parking lot and I'll bring you back to pick it up when we're done."

"It's fine with me," Greg said. Sara unlocked the car and buckled Bethany into her seat. Greg got into the passenger side and Sara got into the driver's seat. She drove to the real estate office and Sara got out of the car.

"I'll be back in a minute," she said and went into the realtor's office. A few moments later, Sara came back out with a woman of about 40-years-old, the realtor, who was dressed in a black suit and carrying a folder. Greg got out of the front seat and moved into the back seat with Bethany to give the front seat to the realtor. "This is Mrs. Wilson," Sara introduced the woman as they got into the car, "she's going to take us to look at some houses. Mrs. Wilson, this is my daughter Bethany," Sara pointed to the little girl and then at Greg, "and this is Greg Sanders, my ...," Sara didn't exactly know what to call him, "...friend."

"It's nice to meet you," Mrs. Wilson greeted them. "Now shall we start the tour." On the way to the first house, Mrs. Wilson spoke of the merits of the house but as soon as Sara saw it, she knew it wasn't the right house. They went for a quick tour and then left. At the second to sixth house they didn't have any success either and by now Sara had begun to give up hope. "This is the last house I have to show you," Mrs. Wilson said. "Turn left here, number 44," she directed Sara. "This house might be a bit bigger than one you'd hope for, but it is beautiful. There is a school bus stop right next door and I believe it is only about 15 minutes from your work Miss Sidle. Ah, here it is." Sara turned into the driveway and she knew it was the house. The front yard was average size with beautiful green grass that you don't usually see in Vegas and a beautiful flower garden. "Shall we go in?" Mrs. Wilson asked. They all got out of the car and went into the house. "On the main floor there is a kitchen, a dining room, a family room, a sitting room, an office, and a bathroom." Mrs. Wilson explained each room as they went into them and then the group went upstairs. "On this floor there is a master bedroom with a master bath and three more bedrooms and another bathroom."

"I like this house. I wanna go pick my room," Bethany said and she ran to look at each of the bedrooms.

Sara went into the master bedroom and Mrs. Wilson voice faded into the background. This was it, the perfect house. Sara could see her and Bethany's life here. She could see Greg and her together here. Greg? What am I thinking?

Suddenly Sara felt a hand on her shoulder and she spun around startled. She found herself face to face with Greg's beautiful brown eyes. "Are you okay Sara?" Greg asked concern evident in his eyes. He was gently kneading her shoulder making it very hard for Sara to concentrate and to answer him.

"I was just thinking how perfect this house is," Sara murmured.

"Sara," Greg stepped closer.

"Mommy!" Bethany called running into the room. Sara stepped away from Greg quickly and he dropped his hand.

"Yes honey," Sara said crouching down.

"You should see the backyard Mommy," Bethany exclaimed. "While you and Uncle Greg were in here Mrs. Wilson showed it to me through the window. It's got a really big climbing tree and a tire swing." Bethany grabbed Sara's and Greg's hands and said, "come see!" Bethany pulled them downstairs and out the patio doors onto a deck, that was slightly raised off the ground, that led to a huge yard. Bethany let go of their hands and ran to the tire swing.

"This is amazing," Sara said. Greg nodded beside her.

"Imagine the parties you could have here," Greg joked. Sara laughed.

"Miss Sidle," Sara turned at Mrs. Wilson's voice. "Do you like the house?"

"Yes," Sara exclaimed. "Where do I sign?"

"If you want," Mrs. Wilson suggested, "you can sign the papers now. I have everything here."

"Excellent," Sara said.


	5. Chapter 5

"Mommy! Wake up!" Sara opened her eyes to find Bethany sitting beside her on her sleeping bag. "Mommy," Bethany whined. "Get up. It's moving day."

Sara blinked a few times, realizing what Bethany said was true. It had been three weeks since she'd signed the papers for the new house and she had been very busy. Bethany and her had wanted to move in as soon as possible so Sara had given notice to her landlord and begun packing the day she'd bought the house. Now, three weeks later, the apartment was empty as the movers had come the day before. All she had left to do was pack up the sleeping bags and clothes she and Bethany had used last night and the day before.

"Mommy," Bethany pushed her mother's arm to make her go faster. "We have to meet everybody at the house at noon." The whole gang had agreed to come help move everything in instead of having the movers do it. They were all coming after they'd had a couple hours of sleep to recover from their shift. Thanks to Grissom she had a few nights off before and after the move, so she planned to be at the new house early to prepare for the others. For the last few weeks all Sara's spare time had been spent painting and redecorating the house, and if she said so herself, it looked great. She only had the two guest rooms left, but they weren't going to be used right away, so she would finish them later. Sara felt Bethany nudge her side again.

"Okay," she said getting out of her sleeping bag, "I'm up. Go get changed Bethany." Bethany grabbed her clothes and ran to the bathroom while Sara rolled their sleeping bags and once Bethany had finished, Sara changed. They ate a quick breakfast and did a last check of the apartment to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything. Sara said a mental good-bye to the place and locked the door. She gave the key to the landlord and she and Bethany got into the car.

"Are we going our new home now Mommy?" Bethany asked looking at Sara in the rearview mirror.

Home. "Yes we are Bethany," Sara replied. "Are you excited?"

"Oh yeah," Bethany nodded her head vigorously. "Is Uncle Greg going to be there today?" she asked not quite meeting her mother's eyes as she asked it.

Sara's face coloured slightly, an occurrence that now happened almost every time Greg's name was mentioned. "Yes, Greg is going to be there," Sara said. "Why do you want to know Bethany?"

"I just wanted to make sure," Bethany replied. "I like Uncle Greg."

"Me too," Sara murmured softly but Bethany still heard her and smiled. Mommy and Uncle Greg might get together, but I think they might need my help. As Bethany thought of ways to get Sara and Greg together, Sara completed the drive to the new house in silence. She pulled into the driveway beside the moving truck. "Honey we're here," Sara's call brought Bethany out of her daydream. She unbuckled herself from her booster seat, a new skill she'd recently acquired, and hopped out of the car.

Sara and Bethany walked up to the house and Sara unlocked the door. Bethany ran inside, weaving in and out of each room. "How long till everybody gets here?" she yelled from somewhere in the back of the house.

Sara looked at her watch as she set her purse on the floor. "They should be here in about 30 minutes," she called back to her daughter. She then went around the house opening the windows since there was no reason to put the air conditioning on because the door would be opening all day. Once she'd finished that task, she went to the backyard where Bethany was playing on the new playground Sara had installed. Sara sat in one of the chairs of the patio set she'd bought. In the apartment building she hadn't had a backyard so she'd needed to buy everything new but she had to admit she'd splurged. In addition to the playground and the patio set, Sara had bought a hot tub, which was positioned to the right side of the deck, and a 15 foot by 42 inch inflatable pool, which was at the back of the yard. When she and Bethany had been shopping, Bethany had seen the pool and wanted it. Sara didn't want to deny her daughter anything plus it would be good for the hot Vegas summers. The hot tub had been an impulse and Sara hoped it had been a good idea.

The ring of the doorbell startled her out of her daze and she with Bethany at her side, went to answer the front door. It was Greg.

"Uncle Greg!" Bethany launched herself at him and caught her just in time. He lifted Bethany and she gave him a hug which she eagerly returned.

"Good morning Bethany," Greg said. He looked at Sara who was gazing at the pair of them with a soft smile on her face. When he caught her looking at then, she blushed. "Hello Sara," Greg smiled at her.

"Hey Greg," she moved out of the doorway to let him in. "Thanks for coming over to help."

"Yes thank you," Bethany repeated still holding on to Greg.

"It's no problem," he said, "I'm always here to help."

The doorbell rang again and within minutes, everyone, including Lindsey, had arrived. Sara unlocked the moving truck and said, "all the boxes are marked where they should go but if you don't know where to put it, ask. The furniture is mostly in the back of the truck so when we get to it, I'll tell you where it all goes." She moved out of the way and everyone grabbed some stuff. Sara pulled Bethany aside to talk, "Bethany, I don't want you to get hurt so only carry things that people give you to carry and don't get underfoot. We don't want anyone to drop a couch on you." Bethany giggled and hugged Sara.

"I won't Mommy," Bethany promised, and they joined the others.

A couple of hours later, Nick and Greg pulled a mattress out of the truck. "That's mine," Sara said. "Greg you know where that it is." Nick gave him a curious look but didn't say anything until they were inside.

"Why have you been in Sara's bedroom?" Nick asked casting a sly grim in Greg's direction. "You haven't taken anything there today."

"Oh shut up," Greg said. "I saw her room when we were looking at the house." The moment he said it, he knew he'd made a mistake. Nick eyed him and was about to question him when Bethany ran up.

"Uncle Nick, I need your help," she told him, "please."

"Alright Bethany. I'll be there once I put the mattress down," Nick said. They carried the mattress into Sara's room and put it on the frame someone had already put together. Nick looked like he was ready to make Greg explain himself for his earlier statement when Bethany called him again. "Oh man are you lucky," Nick joked as he went to see Bethany.

Greg grinned at Nick's retreating form and looked around Sara's bedroom. She'd painted it a light green with a border of dark green leaves around the ceiling. Through the door to the master bath, he could see she'd painted it sky blue. All her furniture was brown, though it was various shades. The room was very Sara. Greg looked out the window facing the driveway. He could see Sara directing people where to go, and laughing at something Catherine said. God he loved this woman. And he did, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself it was just a crush, a passing thing, he loved Sara Sidle with all his heart. Problem was, did she feel the same way? He sighed because he thought there was no way she could. He was just a former lab rat, a geek. He headed back downstairs, his mood a little less happy.

When Greg came back to the truck, Sara noticed something was different about his mood. He seemed less happy but no one else seemed notice so she left it alone. They finished unloading the truck and began organizing the house. By 4:00pm, everyone decided they were finished for the day. They ordered pizza and drinks from a nearby restaurant and hung out in the backyard, which, with all its new purchases, surprised the whole gang.

"I can't believe you bought a hot tub," Catherine exclaimed.

"I wanted it," Sara retorted.

"Are you sure it wasn't for any romantic reasons?" Catherine suggested with a sly grin causing Sara to blush. Everyone laughed except for Bethany, who didn't understand, and Greg, who was scowling in the back not wanting any men to share that hot tub with Sara. Except for me. he realized how insanely jealous that sounded especially since Sara wasn't even his girlfriend. Greg stood up and headed for the house.

Sara noticed and asked, "where are you going Greg?"

"Bathroom," was his curt reply.

"What's wrong with him?" Sara wondered out loud. The others glanced at each other knowing that Greg's foul mood had something to do with Sara, although she didn't seem to.

"Love problems," Nick supplied an answer that confused Sara even more.

"Mommy," Bethany said bringing Sara out of her musings, "my head is hot."

"Where's your hat?" Sara asked.

"In my room," Bethany replied. "Will you get it for me please?"

"Alright," Sara got out of her seat and went inside.

Once she was inside Bethany told the others, "I'm not really hot but now Mommy and Uncle Greg are alone together." The group was shocked Bethany thought of that idea but it was a really good one.

"Good job little miss matchmaker," Nick said ruffling her hair. Bethany giggled and went back to eating her pizza.

Greg looked at himself in the mirror above the sink and didn't like what he saw. He looked angry so he tried to cool down by splashing some water on his face. He'd never felt like this because of a woman. Never had he felt so angry at the mere mention of other guys being with his girl, his Sara. "Get a grip man," he whispered to himself. "If things work out, great, and if it doesn't, just continue being her friend." He nodded at his mirror image then left the bathroom determined to improve his mood.

Sara went up the stairs and into Bethany's bedroom. She grabbed Bethany's hat off her dresser and looked out the window facing the backyard. Everyone important to her was there, her friends and her daughter, except for one person, Greg. The person who really mattered, other than her daughter of course. I've never felt this way about anyone. Even when I was dating Hank, I didn't see us having a future, but Greg... she sighed ...I can see something, but I'm scared. What if he doesn't feel the same why or if he does but we don't work out, is our friendship over? "No," she said out loud, "I can think about this later. Now it's time for relaxing." Sara left Bethany's room but stopped at the top of the stairs and looked at the stair rail. It was perfect for sliding on. Sara decided to do something crazy. She put Bethany's hat on and sat sideways on the rail. She let go but part way down she realized she was not going to be able to stop herself at the bottom. Greg, who had just come out of the bathroom, realized the same thing. He ran forward to the bottom of the stairs just in time to catch Sara in his arms. Sara had her arms around his neck while Greg had one arm under her legs and one under her back.

"Thanks Greg," Sara said breathlessly.

"It's my pleasure," Greg murmured setting her down lightly on her feet. He regretted having to relinquish his hold on her but he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable so he did. It was Sara who didn't let go. She rested her hands on his shoulders keeping them very close. Greg lifted his hand to push back Bethany's hat, which fallen forward during the ride, and revealed Sara's eyes looking into his. He lay his had on her cheek, his thumb caressing her cheek, waiting for Sara to make the next move. When she leaned into his hand instead of leaving, he stepped closer, still giving her time to change her mind, and then kissed her. It was only a gentle kiss but it held so much promise that it scared Sara. She gently pushed off Greg and stared at him with deer-in-the-headlight eyes.

"Sara...," Greg reached for Sara but she stepped back.

"I need to take Bethany her hat," Sara quickly said and almost ran outside.

"Dammit Sanders," he swore. "Look what you've done." He sighed and followed Sara outside.

Catherine noticed Sara's flustered expression and Greg's grim face and knew something had happened between them, not good in her guess. She didn't think the others noticed but she decided she needed to take the attention off the two of them. "Sara what have you decided to do for child care?" she asked.

Sara cast a grateful look in at Catherine as she gave Bethany her hat. "There's a nanny service in the area so someone's going to come stay here with Bethany at night. I'll set up one of the spare rooms for her."

"What about sleeping?" asked Nick.

"During the school year, I'll see Bethany off to school and sleep while she's at school. In the summer, we'll do the same thing but it will be day camp. On the weekends, the nanny will stay for a few hours after i get home," Sara explained.

"Speaking of sleep," Warrick said, "I need to get a few more hours of it before shift starts." The others nodded in agreement. Sara and Bethany walked everyone to their cars.

"Bye. Thanks for your help," they said. Everyone said good-bye although Greg's was a little solemn. Soon only Catherine and Lindsey remained. Catherine pulled Sara aside to talk.

"Sara, you need to let yourself trust people," Catherine said. "He won't hurt you." Sara gave her a surprised look but she knew what Catherine was talking about. "I'll see you in a few days," Catherine and Lindsey left, leaving Sara in a daze.


	6. Chapter 6

A few days later, the night before Sara had to return to work, she woke up hearing Bethany's frantic calls of "Mommy!" She quickly got up and threw on a robe. She hurried down the hall to Bethany's room, with Bethany still yelling, "Mommy!" Sara went into her room to find Bethany rolling around, her face scrunched up, obviously having a nightmare. Sara breathed a sigh of relief as she went to calm Bethany down but a soon as she touched her, Sara knew something was wrong. Bethany's skin was all clammy and hot and she was coughing harshly. Sara pulled the comforter off of Bethany and was shocked to find a rash covering her body. Sara's eyes widened as she realized she had no idea what was wrong or what to do.

The hospital, she decided. She began to gently shake Bethany trying to wake her. "Honey," Sara whispered. "It's time to wake up." Bethany began to blink awake.

"Mommy," Bethany mumbled, "I don't feel good." She began to cry.

"I know baby," Sara lifted Bethany out of her bed and carried her downstairs. Sara grabbed her purse and slipped on her shoes before she left the house. She settled Bethany in her booster seat and got into the car.

"Where are we going Mommy?" Bethany coughed violently as Sara began to drive.

"To the hospital," Sara looked at Bethany in her rearview mirror. She was nodding off in her seat and since Sara didn't know what was wrong with her, she didn't think it would be good for Bethany to go to sleep. "Bethany, wake up. Honey don't go to sleep," Sara tried to keep her awake. "Tell me what you want to do next week." For the rest of the trip Sara asked Bethany questions trying to keep her awake. By the time they reached the Emergency Room, Bethany was coughing more than speaking and she was crying again. Sara parked the car and lifted Bethany out of her seat whispering, "we're here baby. It's going to be okay." Sara carried her into the Emergency Room and went to the Admissions Desk.

"How can I help you ma'am?" asked the clerk.

"My daughter is sick," Sara exclaimed.

"Alright ma'am," the clerk said calmly. "You need to register and then you can have a seat in the waiting area. Someone will be with you as soon as possible but it may be a few hours, we are very busy. If your daughter drastically worsens, come see me immediately." The clerk handed Sara the necessary forms and once they were completed, Sara and Bethany sat down in the hard plastic chairs in the waiting room.

"Mommy," Bethany yawned, "I'm sleepy."

"Okay Bethany," Sara decided it was probably safe to let her sleep. "You can go to sleep." Bethany lay her head on Sara's lap and curled her legs up on her chair. Within minutes she was asleep and Sara was left alone with her worries.

An hour later, Bethany was still asleep and they were no closer at being taken than before. Sara was trying to keep it together but she was so close to bursting into tears. She needed someone with her, so she called someone she knew would help her and Bethany.

"Sanders."

"Greg," Sara's voice broke as she tried not to cry.

"Sara?" Greg sounded surprised by her call.

"Yeah," she whispered. "Are you busy?"

"Nick and I are laying out the evidence from a B&E case," he answered wondering why she'd called especially after what happened on moving day.

"Oh." Greg detected a sadness in her voice and a fear that he couldn't understand. "I'm sorry I interrupted you. I shouldn't have called." She started to hang up but Greg stopped her.

"Wait Sara. Why did you call?" Greg asked, worry suddenly lacing her voice. "Are you and Bethany okay?" Sara paused now unsure of her decision to of calling him. "Sara?"

"Bethany's sick," Sara's voice cracked again.

Greg paled and gripped t he edge of the layout table for support which drew Nick's attention to him. "Where are you?" he asked.

"The Emergency Room at Desert Palms Hospital," Sara whispered.

"I'll be there as soon as possible," Greg told her.

"No. It's fine. I don't want to make you miss work," she said, although she really wanted him with her.

"Don't worry about work, I'll ask Grissom before I take off. Besides, you shouldn't have to go through this alone," he easily persuaded her. "Sit tight." Greg hung up his cell and faced Nick.

"What wrong man?" Nick asked.

"Bethany's sick," Greg answered. "They're at Desert Palms. Sara is worried and upset."

"Well go tell Grissom you need to leave," Nick instructed him. "I'll take care of the case."

"Thanks Nick," Greg practically ran to Grissom's office to explain the situation. Grissom told him to go and Greg, after grabbing his jacket and keys from his locker, drove to the hospital as fast as he could without breaking any speed limits.

While Sara waited for Greg to arrive, Bethany woke up coughing. Sara went and bought her a bottle of water from vending machine. Sara rubbed Bethany's back as Bethany drank the water, trying to soothe her cough. That's how Greg found them when he ran into the Emergency Room.

"Hey Bethany," Greg rushed over and knelt in front of her. He hugged her and asked, "how are you feeling honey?"

"I'm sick," she told him, her eyes filling with tears.

"I know angel," he wiped away the tears that had escaped. "That's why we're here, so the doctor can make you feel better."

Bethany nodded and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "How did you know we were here Uncle Greg?"

"Your mommy called me and I wanted to come make sure you were okay," Greg said, "and keep you company."

"Oh," Bethany murmured as her eyes started to close again. Greg took off his jacket and rolled it into a pillow. He set it on the chair and Bethany lay her head on it and was asleep quickly.

Greg held out his hand to Sara, who took it, and pulled her to her feet. He whispered, "come her," and pulled her into his arms. She stood stiff for a moment then collapsed in his arms and wrapped her arms around his waist and started sobbing in his shoulder. "Hush baby," Greg murmured rubbing her back. "It'll be okay. Bethany will be fine."

"What if she's not?" Sara pushed herself back slightly and looked at Bethany. "What if she's really sick? What if...," Sara began to cry evan harder, "...what if she dies?"

"No!" Greg said harshly and he grabbed her chin forcing her to look at him. "She's not going to die! And if she's sick we're going to take care of her." He loosened his hold on her chin and rested his forehead on hers. "I'm sorry." He hugged her tight and said, "I promise I'm going to take care you."

"Miss Sidle!" a doctor called from across the room. "We're ready for your daughter."

"Come on," Greg whispered and let go of Sara. He picked up Bethany and they walked over to the doctor. The doctor greeted them and led them into an examination room. He examined Bethany quickly while Sara and Greg stood off to the side worried.

"She has scarlet fever," the doctor told them. At Sara's terrified look, the doctor quickly reassured her, "it's quite treatable, don't worry. With medicine and rest, she should be fine in a few days." The doctor handed Sara a prescription and told her she could fill it in the hospital pharmacy.

"Thank you," Sara exclaimed. Greg picked up the very drowsy Bethany and they walked to the pharmacy. Sara picked up the prescription and they all went to Sara's car. Greg set Bethany in her seat and shut the door.

"I guess I'll see you later," Greg said squeezing her shoulder and started to walk away.

"Wait Greg," Sara walked to him and gave him a hug. She kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "thank you."

"No problem," Greg said blushing. Sara headed for her car but stopped when Greg called her. "Sara do you want to have dinner. Or lunch. Sometime."

"Sure," Sara said quietly.

"Great," Greg exclaimed. "Good night Sara."

"Good night Greg," Sara whispered.


	7. Chapter 7

"What should I wear?" Sara ran around her room throwing different outfits on her bed. It had been two weeks since Greg had asked her out and they finally had the same night off, but now with only 10 minutes before he got there, Sara couldn't decide what to wear.

"Mommy," Bethany wandered into the room and sat on Sara's bed. "Where are you going tonight?"

"I don't know Bethy. Greg didn't tell me," Sara told her. Greg had refused to tell Sara his plans when they'd talked the day before. "Where's Julie?" Julie was a neighborhood teenager who was Bethany's baby-sitter for the night.

"She's making dinner," Bethany said. "I wanted to come see you before you left." She sat silently for a moment. "What are you going to wear Mommy?"

"I don't know," Sara looked at her near empty closet again.

"I think you should wear this," Bethany exclaimed from the bed. Sara turned and looked at the dress Bethany was holding. It was dark burgundy with a high neckline and a very low back, sleeveless and knee length. It was perfect.

"I think you're right Bethany," Sara hugged her and Bethany left so Sara could change.

Greg sat in his car outside Sara's house, trying to calm down before he went inside to pick her up.

"Just be yourself. Girls love you," Greg tried to give himself a pep talk but it didn't work. "Who are you kidding! This is Sara. She's not just some girl. What am I doing? Was this a bad idea? Is it going to ruin our friendship?" Greg was now near hysteria, but then he looked at the house and saw Bethany waving at him through the living room window before she ran out of sight. Greg grabbed the flowers he'd bought and got out of the car before he lost his nerve. He quickly walked up the drive and went to ring the doorbell.

"Mommy!" Bethany shouted from the bottom of the stairs. "Uncle Greg is here!"

Sara glanced at herself in the mirror one last time and tried to calm her rapid heartbeat. "It's only Greg. Funny, ... sweet, ... sexy Greg." Her breathing quickened as she panicked. 'No. It will be fine. Yes fine." Sara quickly left the room and went down the stairs before she could change her mind. When she was halfway down, the stairs the doorbell rang.

Bethany ran to the door and was about to fling open the door when Sara warned her, "ask who it is Bethany."

Bethany yelled, "who is it?" through the door.

"It's Greg!" he yelled back.

Bethany looked at her mother for permission. Sara nodded and Bethany opened the door. As soon as Greg stepped inside, Bethany threw herself at his legs but Greg didn't even notice. All he could see was Sara. It was all Greg could do to not drop his jaw. Her burgundy dress fit perfectly and her hair was piled delicately on her head with tendrils framing her face, giving her a gentle look. His piercing gaze caused Sara to blush, but she was just as impressed at his appearance. He was wearing black slacks with a royal blue button down shirt and a black jacket. His hair, although still spiked, was less crazy than at work. In Sara's opinion, he looked absolutely delicious.

The pair of them would likely not have moved from their positions had Julie not come to get Bethany for dinner.

Greg shook his head to clear his mind and set the flowers on a hall table. He leaned down to pick up Bethany up. "Hello Bethany. How are you?"

"I'm good," Bethany said giggling, giving him a loud kiss on his cheek.

Sara finished giving Julie instructions while Greg and Bethany talked, then turned back to them. Greg had grabbed the bouquet of daisies he'd bought and gave then to Bethany. Her face lit up with joy and she hugged him again.

"I love you Uncle Greg," Bethany whispered so quietly Sara almost didn't hear.

"I love you too Bethany," he whispered back.

Sara blinked back the tears in her eyes and said, "say good-bye Bethany. Julie's made your dinner and we have to go." Greg set Bethany down and she went to kiss her mother.

"Love you Mommy," Bethany said, "have fun."

"We will honey," Sara replied. "I'll see you in the morning." Bethany nodded and ran off to the kitchen with Julie leaving Greg and Sara alone.

"You look beautiful Sara," Greg complimented her.

"Thanks. You too," she said.

Greg reached onto the table and grabbed the flowers off the table. "Here." He handed her a bouquet of the most beautiful red roses Sara had ever seen.

"They're beautiful," Sara exclaimed. "Thank you." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

Greg blushed and stuttered, "we'd better go. We don't want to be late for dinner."

"Where are we going?" Sara asked.

Greg smiled and said, "it's a surprise."


	8. Chapter 8

"Greg. This is amazing." Sara looked out the window at the amazing view. They were sitting in an isolated booth at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant, looking at the most beautiful view of the strip Sara had ever seen.

"I thought you'd like it," Gregg said, watching Sara's expression, as she took in her surroundings.

"Bonjour Madame et Monsieur. I am your waiter Pierre," the young man introduced himself as he handed Greg and Sara their menus and lit the candles in the center of their table. "Would you like to start with some wine?"

Greg ordered a bottle of wine and the waiter went to get it. They were looking at their menus when Greg mentioned, "I called the restaurant before I made the reservations to make sure they had vegetarian plates, so you should be able to find something."

Sara was touched that Greg had tried so hard to find something for her. When she was dating Hank, he'd take her to a steakhouse or something like it, and Grissom, leaving blood in the fridge and ask her to clean up raw cow meat. Greg was the first guy in a long time to put her wants and needs first.

Dinner flew by for both of them. They talked about almost everything- work, books, music - everything except their unsure relationship. Soon the waiter was clearing away their dessert dishes and they were heading out.

"I had a lot of fun Greg," Sara smiled at him.

"It's not over yet," Greg said, grinning mischievously at her.

"Really?" Sara wondered. "What do you have planned next?"

"It's a secret," Greg exclaimed.

"Greg where are you taking me?" Sara asked as she tried to walk on the uneven ground with Greg leading her by the hand. After they had left the restaurant, they'd gotten into Greg's car and drove for about 20 minutes. When they stopped, Greg had told her to close her eyes and had began to lead her. Sara had no idea where he was leading her.

"We're almost there," Greg whispered. "Keep your eyes closed a little longer." A few minutes later, Greg stopped and let go of Sara's hand.

"Greg," Sara twisted her head around trying to hear Greg. "Where are you?"

"I'm right here," Greg rested his hands lightly on her shoulders and whispered in her ear. Sara's heartbeat quickened at Greg's closeness. "Open your eyes."

Sara opened her eyes and found herself surrounded by a beautiful garden. In front of her was a blanket spread out on the ground with a plate a chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of wine.

The moon shone down enclosing them in this perfect heaven.

"Oh Greg," Sara breathed and then she turned and grinned at him. "You trying to get me drunk?"

"Of course not,... I uh...," Greg tried to stammer out a response.

"I'm kidding Greg, calm down," Sara laughed at his nervousness, even though she was just as nervous.

"Let's sit," Greg grabbed Sara's hand and pulled her down onto the blanket.

Just like at dinner, they two of them talked for hours. Soon it was 1:00am and Sara realized it was soon time to leave.

"I have to be back by 2:00, that's the latest I told Julie I'd be back," Sara said regretfully.

"Okay then," Greg thought out loud, "I think we have time for a short walk before we have to leave." He pulled her up and down one of the paths in the garden, but didn't release her hand as they walked in silence.

"Greg?" Sara whispered looking at him. "What are we doing? What about work? Bethany? What if we do date and then don't work out. Bethany already loves you, I don't want to hurt her."

"Stop," Greg stopped walking and turned to face her. "Stop worrying about everything else. What do you want?" He rested his hand on her cheek, caressing it gently.

"I want...," Sara looked into his eyes and knew, "...you."

"Good." Greg leaned in and kissed her slowly. Sara put her arms around his shoulders and pulled him closer. Their kiss became much more passionate and soon they had to pull back to breathe.

Sara rested her head on his chest and whispered, "I love you Greg."

"I love you too Sara," Greg whispered back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Epilogue: One year later...

"Do you Greg Sanders, take Sara Sidle to be your wife," the preacher asked.

"I do," Greg looked deep into Sara's eyes as she stood across from him at the altar.

"And do you Sara Sidle, take Greg Sanders to be your husband," the preacher now asked Sara.

"I do," she said smiling as Greg.

"Then by the powers vested in me by the state of Nevada, I hereby pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Greg stepped towards Sara and kissed her in front of the whole group.

Nick and Warrick were cheering beside Greg, and Catherine was crying beside Sara, and Grissom, being Grissom, was just smiling.

But the happiest person there was a little girl who was hugging the legs of her mother and new father.


End file.
